Today the volunteers are working on there signs for the park, while others are busy working on a presentation for the kids at a school. The signs are almost ready and the finishing touches are being applied. The other volunteers are in a race against time to get there presentation ready in time for tomorrow. We hope that all the signs will be ready in time for tomorrow, we have an excellent group of volunteers so we have no doubt theyll be ready in time to be erected.

Dylan & Amiee...

Life of a volunteer

Life of a volunteer is not always easy. As this is my first EVS i have been faced with a lot of new and difficult challanges. Every day working with Gražute has learned me something new about myself and life its self. So far we have done a lot of different things and i have developed some new useful skills that i hope to use in the future. I have also learned a bit of lithuanian language. we have also done some brilliant activities on the weekend. We have experinced a traditional lithuanian market. We have experienced traditional Lithuanian dishes and met some of the locals. Hopefully i can make some more amazing memories during my final 2 weeks in salakas while working with all the amazing people here at Gražute.

Dylan.

What is EVS

What is EVS??? EVS is a European volunteer service where a group of youths from Europe go to a different country to provide volunteer services. During this time you will be required to do a series of different work. The work can vary from outdoor work to woodwork and other types of work. During your EVS you do a culture night for the other volunteers. On this night you talk about your country and the town/ village you come from. Its a great way to learn about other countries and cultures and compare similaritys. I would highly recommend doing an EVS to someone interested as it is a great experience where you meet amazing people, learn more about yourself and make some great memories. So far my EVS journey has been very good. For my last 2 weeks here in salakas i hope it keeps getting better..

Dylan..

The oldest volunteer

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Laba diena)It's a long time I haven't write anything, so I want to tell about one of the most important people in Salakas.One week before I went to this amazing woman's house to take some pictures. We had a good conversation about everything. She gave me raspberries from her garden. I saw all her cats. She has a lot, really a lot.She told me a story about how she was teaching children in her house during the war, how she collected her sea museum. Now I know that at first the Sea museum was in her house.We talked a lot about how things used to be before, about her experience, about life in Salakas and this kind of stuff.She is the oldest volunteer I've ever met.After this nice conversation I was so impressed, that now I have an idea to make a video story about Salakas people and first of all about her.

P.S. And yes, I will stay two months more in Grazute and I'll meet Lithuanian winter. Some wool gloves and socks, some good tea and maybe I am ready. Winter is coming) Ani

Workshop in Maguciai

On 4th of june we went to Maguciai to meet children with disabilities. They were happy to see us. And we also were happy to see them. So we started with a little game for concentration. Than we started to paint. Everyone painted the neighbour in front of him. It was really funny and now I have a picture of me)After we took a big paper and started to paint what we want to do before we grow up. They wanted to have dog, to learn swim (as me), even to tie shoelaces. We said them good bye till september. I hope we will meet again.

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A Trip in the Deep of the Forest by Jorge.

I am going to try to share you my thikings and feelings about the trip what we have done in the deep of the Grazute's forest the last weekend,at the beginning I had a little bit of uncertainty about the trip because of I had never done or take part in a excursion like that,neither like player nor helper,them I took my staff and I helped for a long and endless time to introduce all the staff,bags,pots,Spoons,foods,dishes,tent,sleeping bags,knifes,wood and looooooooooooooooong etc and after this we had started to cycling together with Osvaldas,Petres and 29 teenagers(each one with her/his personality and name),the cycling was very nice ,relaxing and it was a real pleasure ,I just wanted to be in this place,not in other places.,we stopped in some places along the path and then Osvaldas started to speak in lithuanian,they were the exactly worlds:,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,gerai,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,photo,bla,bla,camera,bla,bla,,bla,bla,vyras,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,AŠ,bla,bla,viskas,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,lietuva,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,,bla,bla,and a along etc with too many vocabulary in lithuanian what you probably you don't understand because you are not so good in lithuanian like me.

The trip around Grazute took time were 3 days and 2 night(friday,saturday and sunday),from the beggining it was very relaxing,without tense,physical stress,the first stop was in a idyllic lake called Luodis glued to a little creek, in that place ,we placed our tents(something very enterteiment for some people and what took just some milenium,we made a fire in the place,cooked a soup(with potatoes,pork,carrots,etc),it was fuc**** great(congratulation Osvaldas).At the end I went to the bed 'early'(people went to sleep at 4 o'clock)...

After woke up ,we took all our staff an let start to ciclyng the trail,the trip was relaxing for me,and went to a place not so green but with a wonderfull views where we intalled our tents,we make 2 fires,eat something ,and we enjoyed with a wonderfull ,fantastic and great storm ,because something we have tents,but in general the time was very good ,it was relaxing,distended,enterteimed,and without a main focus,two really funny moments were when Osvaldas descrived about the pain(but real pain,not usual)what he felt when he ate 5 zepelinas(this is a lithuanian bomb made with meat and with conpact potatoes) and the other one was when a guy said in lithuanian 'why Osvaldas bring volunteer what cannot understand,armenian and bulgarian can understand,but spanish...This night ate sweets clouds.

Ani, 15.05.2015Well, although it was raining and it was cold the holiday was interesting. We ate pancakes. It was so tasty, I can't forget. We did so many interesting things, we painted on stones and snails, we canoed in length of the river, we did some music with baubles. So I liked the family day in Lithuania.

EcoRangers Of Gražutės.

Hello,I am Jorge again,this time I would like to share you my personal impression about EcoRangers of Gražutės meetings.First,let me what I explain you what is it, EcoRangers is a group of youngers who are interested in nature,fishing,to play games,cook on fire,etc,something similar (not the same) to scouts,we have done 2 meeting with EcoRangers,the first meeting was a introduction about EcoRangers,it was raining because we couldn't play the outside's game what I have prepared because of it ,I have used the planof inside games like ''name and action'',''drawing places'',''mistery forehead'' and a long etc,do you want to know what is this games?,I am sorry for you ;),come the next time or check this page(http://devxon.com/1145),we have created a big ship ,I think everybody enjoyed a lot .

The Second Meeting

The second meeting was after Daron2015,Daron is a cleaning action really,really funny because the form of clean is pile up and make a huge fire, everybody like burn things(maybe it doesn't sound very well when it is told by a person who works in a natural park,but it's like that).Well I prefer not to extend a lot.

The second meeting was easy ,fun and relaxing and activated at the same time and consist in some activities but the most important was the gymcana,2 groups were created ,each team have to hide four questions with a limit of time,it is really emotional ,funny and hasty ,after each group have to go mad looking for the questions of the other group when they have finnished questions have been answered .The weather was really good.

All were perfect,genail and great.

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Last week

AniLast week was full of events. For the first we went to our park with school kids. School children had made nesting boxes for birds and we were walking around forest and trying to find best places for them. After we went to the bird tower and were watching at birdt with telescope. Then I was trying to teach children make an origami. I hope now they can.On friday we had guests from Visaginas in our visitor center. And I prepared many games for those kids to make the excursion funny. Finally on saturday was work day and we worked in the park. After me and Veronika went for fishing. We are not good fishers)

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Kurtuvėnai and Šiauliai 14-15th of April

VeronikaOkey... i would like to share a lit bit more about my evs-life. Two months before I thought that my work in Lithuania would be only walking around the lakes in Grazure Park and doing nothing.However, the truth is totally different.Everyday my workday starts at 9am and finishes at 17pm. During this time I have to write my project, or to visit meetings that my "Grazute Regional Park" has arranged.Last week we had a seminar in Kurtovenai,near Siauliai , which in the very first beggining seemed to be boring and pointless but later on I was absolutely surprized of the implementation of the event. After the official part of the day we went to a house in the forest totally isolated and the fun part began. The hosts were organized traditional lithuanian night with dances and food. Me and the other volunteers were the youngest people there but I would say that all of the participants were so involved in the program that I hadnt felt even for a moment dissimilar. The other very strange thing for me was that there werent internet connection and in my ordinary life it would be the biggest problem ever , but this night and these people were sо pleasing, companionable, jolly and engaging that I completelly forgot about the life outside.In the morning we went to "The Hill of Crosses". This was in my list "To visit" in Lithuania , so apparantly I was incredibly happy and my travel spirit was satisfied.

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Seminar for teachers 7.04.2015

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AniLaba diena. It was a very positive week. We had guests from all Lithuania. I prepare for teachers a game in the visitor center. It was a way to learn Russian. The game was very funny. It was the first time in my life when I should teach something teachers. After a game in visitor center we went to the forest do some outdoor activities. We played many games and after we made tea and cakes in the fire.

My first month In Salakas 08.04.2015

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Veronika Its been a month since I came here. The truth is that it is still very cold and still feel like I am on the North Pole.Nevermind ! Many things happened during this period. I went to Vilnius , Kaunas and I spend the Easter in Riga.I met another volunteers in Lithuania , even I found a bulgarian one.I also have many many work to do , linked with youch exchange planning and cultivating an eco-garden.I am very excited about the garden , because I expect to produce very much and very sweet little strawberries.My aim is after we collect the harvest to make some strawberries jam! What I am doing in my free time is riding a bike. Everyday I am exploring different places around my village.This could be count like fitnes I think :PAnd at least , the best and the most important to me was ... I FOUND OUT JOGURT :)From this day on I feel , there is nothing I would miss anymore !

Earth Day in Grazute park 19.03.2015

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AniWe celebrated Earth day in Grazute park with school children. It was very nice day with more emotions. Аt first we were in our office. I made a presentation about stone art, after that kids painted stones. They brought so many stones, it was really funny. When we finished to paint stones, we've went out from office and have made cookies and tea in fire. After all these activities we went to forest, near to lake. Veronika and Jorge prepared some games with adults. So it was one of the funniest days during my EVS.

2015 03 16Hi allI am Ani, I am 24 and I am an Armenian EVS volunteer In Salakas.During the last weekend me and my roommate, the other volunteer from Bulgaria, decided to go to Kaunas.We spent there one day and were walking in the streets, in the market, we saw many people, many places and meet other volunteers.I made some photos. Enjoy)

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My first Marathon

I am Jorge, 23 years old, from Spain, and you are going to read how I have felt the marathon of independence lithuanian day.I had just come Salakas and Vytas said me something like: "The city hall is preparing a marathon to the day of the independence lithuanian day, do you want take part?" and I replied: "Of course", It was a bad answer because I never run.

The marathon was the 11 March 2015, it was that day 25 years before Lithuania got the independence of Russia-Soviet Union, first we celebrated a event to thank ucranians who help lithuanians... I lived like usually felt all what sound lithuanian, when you are between lithuanian,you can understand nothing because of I usually focus in other kind of things like the body language, the clothes, or the emotions, there were a lot of kind of people like children, a group of volunteers of the lithuanian army, parents with their kids, some politician and of course partners of "Grazute". I amazed about the event how lithuanians sang the national anthem, they look like so serious and obviously they involve a lot of their own feelings.

Later ,the marathon started, it was a intense experience, I met a lot of people children of Salakas's school, volunteers of the lithuanian army. At the end of the marathon a act related with lituania started, I lost the act because the right of my hip and my left knee were too fened(never run a marathon with train before),later spicy rice and tea were given to runners and viewers, then the runners went to take the medals where I found a cake and even a concert(check the recording).

I am Veronika and I am a bulgarian EVS volunteer.I am 23,just finished my bachelor and I have the whole time in my life to do what I want. This is my second time being in Lithuania,and my first time being for so long time.The first time I came here was almost two years ago and I spent 1 month in a very small village-Antaliepte.It was the most amazing month in my life!I have never been in such a calm and peaceful place.We were 11 volunteers from 5 different countries and we had to build a bike route in the forest.The truth is that I totally fell in love with that piece of the earth,so that’s why I am back for the second time! Usually,I have problems with the airports in general,once they lost my luggage or they cancel my flight,but I am always prepared for that kind of “mistakes”and this time the only thing that happened was my damaged suitcase.At least its good I had an insurance ! :)

Salakas,the place that I am going to live for the next 9 months is two hours away from the capital of Lithuania (Vilnius).I knew where I am going to sleep,but I didn’t see it before.I still remember my mums words in my head “Are you sure that its going to have a hot water all the time ? And are you sure that you are going to have your own room ?"..HAHAHA Yes,mum I have a separated room,hot water all the time,washing machine,radiator,iron and everything that we have in home:)The only thing that they don’t have is an yogurt(or I just cant find it in shops).Thats gonna miss me I guess!

And in conclusion people are friendly, nature is adorable, food is tasty.Hope soon to learn any words in Lithuanian and make a lot of fun with the natives! See you soon :)